AZUSA, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's basketball team ran into a buzz saw in Azusa Pacific in dropping a 90-59 decision Monday at the Felix Event Center.
The Silverswords fell to 2-16 overall and 2-14 in the Pacific West Conference.
The Cougars, ranked No. 19 in the latest WBCA Top-25 Poll, won for the 12
th time in their last 13 games to improve to 24-3 overall and 15-2 in the PacWest. They also stayed a half-game behind Hawai'i Pacific for the top seed in next month's conference tournament.
Chaminade was led by
Diamond Carter (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Olympic College) who had 17 points and six rebounds.
Breann Nueku (Honolulu/Clark College) added 10 points with four boards.
APU was led by Casey Wortley with 16 points.
The 'Swords managed to stay in the game early and even took the lead on three occasions in the first quarter, the final time at 10-8 on Nueku's 3-pointer.
The Cougars led by as many as 13 midway through the second quarter but a 3-pointer from
Skye Haraga (Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Punahou) and two layups from Nueku trimmed the deficit to 35-27 with 3:35 left in the half, forcing APU to call timeout. The Cougars scored 13 of the final 15 points of the half to grab a 43-29 lead heading into intermission.
But Chaminade could not keep up with Azusa Pacific's full- and half-court press to open the second half. They committed five turnovers in the first three minutes leading to three breakaway layups as APU built its lead to 56-31.
Alana Nuuanu (Nanakuli, Hawai'i/Nanakuli),
Alicia Dugan (Renton, Wash./Peninsula College) and Haraga each had six points which also tied a season-high for Haraga.
Sephora Yayouss (Brussels, Belgium/Peninsula College) had a season-best six rebounds while tying her season-high with four assists.
Jakarra Waddell (Burbank, Calif./Long Beach City College) also pulled down six boards.
The 'Swords shot just 34 percent from the floor to the Cougars' 41.6 and were out-rebounded 54-41. They also committed a season-high 26 giveaways as Azusa Pacific's press defense grabbed 20 steals.
However Chaminade did manage nine blocked shots, tying the program's single-game team record set on three other occasions, the last being against Dixie State in January 2016. Waddell, Carter and
Chloe Morrison (Edmonds, Wash./Archbishop Murphy) swatted away two each.
CUH guard
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) had her double-double streak snapped at three. She had four points and four rebounds in 16 minutes of action, all season lows.
The Silverswords will be at California Baptist Thursday in the final meeting between the two programs.
